Prose Season – Teatro Maria Caniglia
The finest Italian and international drama on the stage of the Sulmona Municipal Theatre
About Prose at Maria Caniglia
The Prose Season at Teatro Maria Caniglia
In the heart of Sulmona, in the province of L'Aquila, the Teatro Comunale Maria Caniglia has long been the premier stage of the Peligna Valley. Named after the famous Sulmona-born soprano Maria Caniglia, the theatre hosts a rich Prose Season every year from November to April, bringing the best of Italian and international dramaturgy to Abruzzo.
A project curated by Meta APS
The festival is produced by the Meta APS association, which manages the prose season, youth theatre, and production activities for the Sulmona theatre, in partnership with the Municipality of Sulmona. The project is supported by the Abruzzo Region, the Carispaq Foundation, and the Gran Sasso d'Italia Chamber of Commerce. The artistic direction is led by Sulmona native Patrizio Maria D'Artista, who heads a team of young local professionals.
Big names and national premieres
Each edition features a programme of eight shows starring prominent figures from the national scene. Over the years, the Maria Caniglia stage has hosted performers such as Emilio Solfrizzi, Caterina Murino, Luca Bizzarri, Enzo Decaro, Giorgio Pasotti, Biagio Izzo, Francesco Montanari, and Giacomo Giorgio. The season also includes national premieres and major productions, ranging from Goldoni and Shakespeare classics to contemporary comedies.
A sold-out theatre
The season regularly records numerous sold-out performances, a testament to a loyal audience and high-quality programming. Alongside the prose shows, the calendar is enriched with special events, concerts, and side activities that enliven Sulmona's cultural life during the winter and spring months.
Services for spectators
To encourage participation from residents of the Peligna Valley, Meta APS promotes the "Next Stop: Theatre" project, providing a free shuttle service from several surrounding towns. Subscriptions and tickets can be purchased at the theatre, the Sulmona IAT Tourist Information Centre, and on the Ciaotickets online platform.
Sulmona, a city of art and theatre
Attending a show at the Maria Caniglia is also the perfect opportunity to discover Sulmona, an elegant Abruzzese city of art famous for its confetti (sugared almonds), as the birthplace of the Latin poet Ovid, and for its historic centre filled with monuments. The prose season is one of the most anticipated cultural highlights of the year for the entire province of L'Aquila.
Prose at Maria Caniglia — edition 2026
The 2025/2026 Prose Season at the Teatro Maria Caniglia, the sixth consecutive year curated by Meta APS in partnership with the Municipality of Sulmona, opened on November 8, 2025, with the national premiere of Goldoni's La vedova scaltra, directed by Giancarlo Marinelli and starring Caterina Murino, Mino Manni, and Patrizio Cigliano.
The programme featured eight prose titles: A mirror (December 6, with Ninni Bruschetta and Greg), L'uomo, la bestia e la virtù (December 20, with Vanessa Gravina), Otello (January 10, 2026, with Giorgio Pasotti and Giacomo Giorgio), Il medico dei maiali (February 7, with Luca Bizzarri and Francesco Montanari), L'avaro immaginario (February 21, with Enzo Decaro), I mezzalira (March 21), and L'arte della truffa (April 12, with Biagio Izzo), which closed the season.
Among the "Beyond the Season" special events were the concert-story Piano di volo soloTRIS by Claudio Baglioni (December 23, 2025) and the masterclass with Eugenio Barba and Julia Varley of the Odin Teatret (April 14, 2026). The season concluded with numerous sold-out shows, confirming its status as one of the most popular cultural events in Abruzzo.
Programme Prose at Maria Caniglia 2026
2025/2026 Prose Programme
- November 8, 2025 – La vedova scaltra (Caterina Murino, Mino Manni, Patrizio Cigliano; directed by Giancarlo Marinelli) – national premiere
- December 6, 2025 – A mirror. Uno spettacolo falso e non autorizzato (Ninni Bruschetta, Greg, Fabrizio Colica, Paola Michelini)
- December 20, 2025 – L'uomo, la bestia e la virtù (Vanessa Gravina, Max Malatesta, Nicola Rignanese)
- January 10, 2026 – Otello (Giorgio Pasotti, Giacomo Giorgio, Claudia Tosoni; dramaturgy by Dacia Maraini) – national premiere
- February 7, 2026 – Il medico dei maiali (Luca Bizzarri, Francesco Montanari, David Sebasti)
- February 21, 2026 – L'avaro immaginario (Enzo Decaro with the Compagnia Luigi De Filippo)
- March 21, 2026 – I mezzalira (Agnese Fallongo, Tiziano Caputo)
- April 12, 2026 – L'arte della truffa (Biagio Izzo, Carla Ferraro)
Special Events
- December 23, 2025 – Claudio Baglioni, "Piano di volo soloTRIS" (concert-story)
- April 14, 2026 – Masterclass and performance with Eugenio Barba and Julia Varley (Odin Teatret)
Highlights Prose at Maria Caniglia 2026
Prices Prose at Maria Caniglia 2026
Practical information — Prose at Maria Caniglia
Location
Teatro Comunale Maria Caniglia, Via Antonio De Nino 30, Sulmona (AQ).
How to get there
By car: Sulmona is accessible via the A25 motorway (Pratola Peligna-Sulmona exit). By train: the Sulmona station is served by lines to Rome, Pescara, and L'Aquila. Each season, Meta APS operates a free shuttle service from towns in the Peligna Valley as part of the "Next Stop: Theatre" project.
Tickets and subscriptions
Subscriptions and individual tickets are on sale at the theatre, the Sulmona IAT Tourist Information Centre (SS. Annunziata Complex, Corso Ovidio), and online via Ciaotickets. Information: +39 0864 52224 / +39 329 9339837, [email protected].
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Where does it take place — Prose at Maria Caniglia
Teatro Comunale Maria Caniglia
Via Antonio De Nino, 30, 67039 Sulmona